


木漏れ日

by serein (koshitsu_kamira)



Series: Polaroid Snapshots [5]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Established Relationship, Fluff, Insecurity, M/M, Morning Cuddles, Past Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-09
Updated: 2016-09-09
Packaged: 2018-08-14 01:21:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,308
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7993405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/koshitsu_kamira/pseuds/serein
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Love is a learning process and Yuta's only a beginner.</p>
            </blockquote>





	木漏れ日

**Author's Note:**

  * For [berryboys](https://archiveofourown.org/users/berryboys/gifts).



> 木漏れ日 (noun, Japanese, _'sunlight filtering through trees'_ )
> 
> For my personal cheerleader. ♥

In Yuta’s opinion Sunday 10 AM was definitely way too early to be up and awake, however Taeil clearly didn’t share his sentiment as the elder had climbed out of the bed approximately two hours ago, claiming he simply couldn’t sleep anymore, then minutes later slumped against the headboard with a laptop warming his stomach, pajama sweater having ridden up his bare legs. Enticed, the other boy scooted closer, drowsily caressing Taeil’s slim thigh, toned calf while his boyfriend mumbled foreign sounding words, eyes fixed on the screen, wholly immersed in typing strings of white characters, fingers dancing above the keyboard, _working on_ _a code probably_ , Yuta supposed and watched how the elder huffed quietly when the system displayed unfavourable messages. Aware that Taeil would continue to ignore his ministrations until he finished working, concentration absolute, the younger nuzzled his arm, settling for a catnap, consciousness straddling the grey area between dreams and reality, the scent of tangerines, cool peppermint filling his lungs, easing, quelling the worries constantly on his mind; breathing slow, Yuta gradually dozed off.

“Wake up, sleeping beauty,” whispered the other tenderly, pressing chaste kisses on Yuta’s eyelids, cheekbones, “it’s noon already, we should eat,” said Taeil, voice mellow, lips brushing over the younger’s mouth, a playful, albeit sensual touch which left the comatose boy yearning, aching for more, a whine rising from his throat, “come on, I refuse to spend the entire day indoors.”

Sighing, Yuta stretched languidly, peeking at the elder who was lying boneless next to him, smile fond, arms immediately wrapping around his boyfriend’s torso as the other rolled closer, snuggling into Taeil’s chest, humming contentedly, “Are you free tomorrow?” he asked, breaking the comfortable silence having blanketed the tiny downtown apartment they could barely afford. “Sure, I have a cancelled afternoon lecture,” Taeil replied after a while, hand sneaking inside Yuta’s underwear to cop a feel, making his boyfriend squirm, restless, “Why?” he muttered absently, fingertips slipping, creeping lower, until the younger swatted him despite the obvious hard-on brushing against the other’s hips or the small gasps he unwittingly let out, seeking pleasure.

“The guys are watching Train to Busan,” Yuta began, tone uncertain, “You could join us, perhaps?” he trailed off warily, inspecting Taeil’s expression, then discovered a miniscule frown marring, darting across his lovely features, dejection shadowing amber hued irises, muscles tensing slightly under the younger’s prone body, all the nonverbal signs indicating the final answer - “I might pass.” The pause stretched on, straining Yuta’s nerves, “Honestly, I prefer animations,” Taeil explained patiently, squeezing his boyfriend, reassuring, affectionate, “also, your friends are definitely  _ not _ my biggest fans,” he wryly continued, cadence dropping, “anyway, go have fun, and don’t even consider taking a rain check,” he warned, sweet as usual. Nonetheless, Yuta felt guilty, seeing that he really should have swallowed his pride, clarified his intentions at last, instead of shirking the responsibilities, avoiding the topic in general, further complicating the situation - truthfully, he was fed up with acquaintances poking their noses into his private life, questioning the personal choices he had made, doubting their happiness.

People had witnessed Hansol and Yuta’s relationship flickering off, then on, the seemingly inevitable cycle repeating, unceasing, its pattern intermittent, erratic, but impervious to changes, either new lovers or the passing time; hence they were thrown, bewildered once the original sequence was disrupted by Taeil, a petite, shy looking manchild, forever drowning in oversized shirts. Initially, he was only a rebound, a temporary distraction, yet another detour which should have ultimately lead Yuta back to Hansol; instead the younger boy caught himself grinning brightly, the action instinctive, whenever the other went off tangent, babbling about blockchain technology, cryptocurrencies, altcoins and cold servers, using terms, connotations he couldn’t understand. Whereas the lack of common subjects, shared interests would have usually propelled Yuta to nip any romantic notions in the bud, Taeil completely beguiled, enthralled him so the idea had been promptly abandoned, the elder’s soft glances, the gentle pecks scattered along calloused knuckles, the Japanese boy’s glowing cheeks, eclipsed the plans, vanquished the momentary impulses, the insidious  _ what if _ s. At night Yuta lay awake reminiscing the joyous spark in Taeil’s eyes, the rays of sunlight refracting in his orbs, dusting gold over delicate eyelashes, recalled the fine-spun shadows, the luminous filaments gilding the other’s face while they had walked beneath the verdant trees, fingers intertwined, Hansol nothing than white noise, a vague, distant echo lingering in his ears. Inexplicably, a certain sense of freedom, a lighthearted feeling accompanied Taeil’s presence in his life, that Yuta embraced whole, drunk on the novel sensation, the pleasant experience for the  _ love _ he knew had lacked dimensions, colours before,  _ their _ past mistakes, hurt, bruises defining the intricate concept; slowly, different shades were added, tinting the emotion sky blue, pale lavender, persimmon red and tea rose pink. Tomorrow was suddenly brimming with opportunities to create happy memories, vivid snapshots, discover what made Taeil burst into uncontrollable laughter, gather the hidden pieces, little treasures like the amused quirk of his mouth, the coy blush Yuta inspired, and pave the road they were trailing, mapping out together, dodging potholes, sometimes jumping right in the puddles, giggling silly afterwards. Taeil taught him how to dance, reckless, during rainstorms, savour the moment, notwithstanding their drenched clothes, shoes leaking water, aspects Yuta would have written down as minor drawbacks, inconveniences, meanwhile overlooking the precious, fragile details - the freckles above the elder’s cheekbones, the elegant line of his shoulders traced by the clinging sweater. Love for Yuta had ceased to be an abstract concept, an obscure theory involving neat labels, definite borders, it became falling and standing up again, wandering blindly, never lost because there was no fixed destination or a preordained route; all he knew was the other boy’s warm hand encompassed within his, the rhythm of their steps, adagio, then staccato, Taeil’s sleepy whispers, the raspy timbre skimming across his senses.

“Let’s say I’ll go to the movies,” the elder brought up unexpectedly, thumbing Yuta’s lower lip, thoughtful, “in exchange, come home with me this Chuseok,” he proposed, chuckling at the other’s dumbfounded expression, tapping his unhinged chin, “Why are you this shocked, dummy?” he asked, smile growing bigger, the glow reaching, illuminating his gaze, “You have been prodding me about visiting my family for ages.” Tugging his boyfriend closer, their brows, noses touching, Taeil peppered butterfly kisses over Yuta’s handsome features, pausing to maintain eye contact, “What’s on your mind?” - flushing under the attentive stare, the younger ducked his head, embarrassed, unable to form words, proper sentences, affection, gratitude engulfing him, “I just,” he stuttered, jittery, “would they like me though?” he blurted out. Taeil laughed, endeared, radiating genuine mirth, reminding Yuta of their first date, his own stunned reaction to the other’s ride, an obnoxious, lime colored scooter and the resulting chortle it evoked, “ _ Good enough for a quick ride around the parking lot, sweetheart? _ ” the elder joked, snickering, while he flushed red, thinking they wouldn’t ever meet again; “Stop having fun on my expenses,” he whined pitifully. 

“Why won’t they, silly goose?” the elder cooed, having relented, snuggling into Yuta’s neck, “you are the full package,” he added, tone intimate, hushed, “I adore you,” he continued, puffs of breath spreading warmth across the other’s skin, inducing shivers, “nothing else matters anyway,” Taeil rose onto his elbows, facing the younger, the air between them cozy, buzzing, “You shouldn’t worry,” he asserted. 

Swallowing the halfhearted protests, Yuta nodded mutely, pulling Taeil down atop his body, the comforting weight, familiar heat anchoring him, alleviating the insecurities, dispelling the fears he had learnt to associate with relationships, the ominous mirage living solely in his mind, 

“I trust you,” he said, artless, closing his eyes as sunshine peeked through the gauzy curtains, sprinkling gold dust everywhere, outlining the halo that surrounded the elder’s head.


End file.
